My buddy Mark and I drove into Yosemite on the tail end of an early spring storm. With a good dusting of snow the Valley rim, El Cap spouted many small waterfalls. Pine Line stood out as the only dry route on the Southwest face. Well, actually the rock was a little wet but the jams still felt secure.

When we finished, we unroped and scrambled up to the base of The Nose. Mark wanted to keep climbing The Nose but I chickened out so we vowed to return in the fall.

Under dark clouds and just sun breaking through, I snapped a picture of mark as he rappeled with a surreal misty fog above <A HREF='http://www.supertopo.com/rockclimbing/gallery.html?r=yoelpine'>check out the photo</a>

On my tour of the Valley's 5.7's, Pine Line is my favourite. Its too bad it's not longer. The location is ideal, but every time I've been there its been windy. Use long runners and TR the face climbs on the right (not too polished, even I made it up them!).

Best 5.7 in the valley (although there isn't a whole lot of competition). Makes you think for the grade. A pity it is so short. Also, climbing an 80 ft route on El Cap feels a like going to the movies and leaving after the trailers have finished.

I liked this climb. Super little finger crack that eats up pro. It was a little polished and short but your climbing at the base of the Nose. looking up at the nose as you free climb makes you feel like Tommy Caldwell. Rap webbing was around the tree at the top, so you can rap off and not scramble down the right side.

Looking at the crack from the base, I wondered if it was even worth the time to run up this shorty... but I was glad I did. Despite tons of features, you'll have to stop and think a few times along the way... it's a mixture of face and crack moves with intermittent (but solid) pro. As the description says, this is a good warm-up!

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